You’ll hear it again this weekend, countless times actually as the Devils celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first Cup, that the 1995 champions were a product of their system rather than the personnel.
Those who espouse that philosophy have fallen into a trap.
Because while there is no doubt Jacques Lemaire transformed the Devils from behind the bench — joining with assistant Larry Robinson to provide the vision, plan, experience and wisdom that fueled the Devils’ transition from afterthoughts in the swamp to a powerhouse — these ’95ers were an elite group.
The sophomore goaltender, Martin Brodeur, was building a Hall-of-Fame career, as were lead defensemen Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer. So, start from there.
Forward John MacLean — who would have had his No. 15 retired long ago if he played for an organization and a general manager who believed in pomp, circumstance and pregame ceremonies — was one of the great goal-scorers of his time.
Claude Lemieux would be in the Playoff Hall of Fame by acclamation if there were such a thing (either the Hall or acclaim for Pep). Stephane Richer — who had come from Montreal as had Lemaire, Robinson and Lemieux — was an electrifying goal scorer.
And Neal Broten, general manager Lou Lamoriello’s Magnificent Acquisition, capped a Hall-of-Fame career even if the electors who operate in secret never have gotten around to acknowledging it.
They all could play, and they all could play both sides of the puck, because if you couldn’t play defense, you not only couldn’t, but wouldn’t, play for Lemaire’s Devils.
Lemaire walked on the St. Lawrence Seaway in order to rescue the Devils from oblivion. But it wasn’t a system that won the Cup. It wasn’t the trap that won the Cup. That’s myth over men.
It was Brodeur and Stevens; Niedermayer, Ken Daneyko and Bruce Driver. It was Tom Chorske, Bobby Carpenter and the Crash Line; MacLean, Broten, Lemieux, Richer and a young Billy Guerin.
Big-time players.
They were big-time players who won this first of three championships for New Jersey. And it was a team whose feats — 16-4 in the playoffs, outscoring Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit by an aggregate 67-34 — are worthy of celebration.
Rangers first-round draft choices since Glen Sather took command as GM in 2000: Dan Blackburn, Hugh Jessiman, Al Montoya, Lauri Korpikoski, Marc Staal, Bobby Sanguinetti, Alexei Cherepanov, Michael Del Zotto, Chris Kreider, Dylan McIlrath, J.T. Miller and Brady Skjei.
Players obtained in trades for first-rounders under Sather’s regime: Pavel Bure, Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis and Keith Yandle.
Discuss.
The Rangers may have an issue with the 50-contract limit, but the Blueshirts — who will lose Cam Talbot to free agency over the summer of 2016 if Henrik Lundqvist’s understudy is not traded before then, and perhaps (much) sooner rather than later depending on interest this summer — are expected to be in on the bidding for Boston University’s pending free-agent goaltender Matt O’Connor.
O’Connor attended the Rangers’ development camp last summer. The question is whether a backup job on Broadway would have appeal to a young man who will no doubt be pursued by clubs with an opening at No. 1.
You know who the Maple Leafs are? They’re the equivalent of the 1993 Mets, a big market team filled with out-of-place and small-minded personalities doomed to failure and ridicule.
All that’s missing are the bleach, the firecrackers and Phil Kessel offering to wipe the smiles off a reporter’s face by showing him Etobicoke.
From Page Six: Which veteran traded at (or just prior to) the deadline was moved because of an off-ice issue rather than his contract, free-agent status or play?
Surprising even myself, I must say that I and Slap Shots are all in on this 2016 World Cup format that might not be the purest in the history of international tournaments, but is sure to generate great September hockey.
This tournament is about entertainment and about spectacle; it is about producing a two-week festival on ice in Toronto. The more NHL stars, the better. They essentially will all be NHL stars, in fact.
And you know what, when Connor McDavid wouldn’t have been able to make Team Canada (Sidney Crosby was not picked for the 2006 Canadian Olympic Team) and Jack Eichel wouldn’t have made Team USA, they’ll be on the ice for the Young Guns.
Win, win.
And as for ESPN getting the television rights in the USA? Even Mushnick can see the value in that.
(As long as the Team Red, White and Blue doesn’t dress in black uniforms, that is.)
Not quite seeing Cody Franson as the missing piece in Nashville any more than I’m seeing Braydon Coburn as the missing piece in Tampa Bay.
Which was more of a steal for the Flyers, getting Coburn in the first place from the Thrashers for Alexei Zhitnik in 2007 or getting Radko Gudas, a first-rounder and a third-rounder from the Lightning last week?
So two injured players who won’t get on the ice this year (Gudas and Evander Kane) and another incapacitated athlete who isn’t expected to ever get back on the ice (Nathan Horton) were traded within the last few weeks, and the odd thing is the acquiring teams in all three cases appear to have come out ahead.
Regarding tanking and the wisdom thereof: You do realize, don’t you, that by winning the final, meaningless game of the pre-lottery 1988-89 season (and by going 4-2 over their final six contests), the Islanders fell from the first-overall to the second-overall selection in the draft?
That only represented the difference between Mats Sundin (to the Nordiques, who dutifully lost their final four) and Dave Chyzowski.
It has been a three-horse race all year for the Adams between the Islanders’ Jack Capuano, Nashville’s Peter Laviolette and Washington’s Barry Trotz, but now Detroit’s Mike Babcock is gaining and support, and wait … who is that moving up on the outside?
Why, it’s Calgary’s Bob Hartley.
So New Jersey holding onto Martin Havlat and Michael Ryder at the deadline and healthy scratches twice thereafter, benefits whom, exactly?
This just in. Brian Cashman thinks the Devils should have retired the captaincy with Mel Bridgman.